<p>I don't agree with Gov. Scott on much, but I agree with him on putting the brakes on a tuition increase now. Students and families have been getting clubbed with "automatic" tuition increases for four or five years now; it's time for a breather from tuition increases. Florida lawmakers should not allow tuition increases right now, and state lawmakers need to stop slashing funding to state universities like FSU. Any students or parents able and ready to pay more money may write a donation check to FSU on their own.</p>
<p>It’s not like it really is going to matter. Unless he also says no to increased housing costs, increased meal plan costs (not that I have one), and increased costs in other areas then the universities will still find a way to get more money.</p>
<p>You couple the constant increases though with just-as-constant cuts to Bright Futures and other items, and it’s like a double whammy though. It’s tough to even think of planning for next year right now (when things such as Housing for next year is already open, and we’re only a couple weeks away from registration for summer and fall opening) when no one knows what things are going to cost. </p>
<p>I’ve noticed that Traditions Hall is now scheduled to cost nearly $3500 per semester next year (according to the Housing website). That’s insane. That’s nearly $400 more than what the housing office has suggested it would “be around” cost-wise. I don’t see how they could have been off by 11.4%, or whether they were just listing a number they knew was much lower than what it would cost to help stir up interest.</p>
<p>I think that Bernie Machen and Eric Barron’s proposal to increase tuition for STEM degrees was done with full knowledge that it would be publicly refused. I think that they intentionally floated this as a sacrificial lamb to give Gov. Scott the opportunity to appear to “crack down” on college costs without actually doing any real damage.</p>
<p>Now that Scott has had this little political victory with the public he will have less motivation to push even harder for further funding cuts. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if this was choreographed in advanced by all parties involved. If true, nice work (in a Machiavellian sort of way).</p>
<p>I do agree that tuition increases (nationwide) are getting out of control, but you can’t fix it by addressing it in one state alone. Big budget cuts in one state will simply result in a faculty/talent exodus to another state. I really think that some kind of federal legislation is ultimately going to be needed to calm the arms race going on between universities. No state can address this in a vacuum without hurting their universities.</p>
<p>Vice President Joe Biden is going to be on the FSU campus Monday, Feb 6th, to talk about college affordability, including the subject of rising tuitions.</p>